If, with a picture signal recording/reproducing apparatus, such as a video tape recorder (VTR), the recorded contents, such as program title, are recorded as a memo on a back label of a video cassette which houses a magnetic tape having the picture information recorded thereon, and the desired program is reproduced, it has been necessary to search for the desired program by noting the VTR counter information or the video index search system (VISS) or video address search system (VASS) of the VHS system based on the memorized contents. However, it is a laborious operation to record the title, such that, if there is no memo on the back label or there is an insufficient memo, the user is compelled to view the video cassette at random and to repeat fast feed or rewind in order to search for the desired program.
Specifically, with reference to a flow chart of FIG. 23, the user, aware of the video cassette on which the program he or she desires to view is recorded at step ST1, moves to step ST2. If the user is not aware, he or she moves to step ST6.
At step ST2, if the desired first program is recorded beginning from the leading end of a tape, and a desired second program is recorded at a mid area of the tape, the user loads the video cassette on the VTR and moves to steps ST3 or ST4 when he or she desires to view the first program or the second program, respectively.
At step ST3, the user rewinds the tape to its leading end before moving to step ST5.
At step ST4, the user rewinds and fast feeds the tape, while locating the second program, before moving to step ST5.
At step ST5, the user proceeds to reproduction so that reproduction by the VTR is started.
On the other hand, at step ST6, the user loads on the VTR the video cassette in which the program he or she desired to view is most likely to have been recorded. The user then moves to step ST7.
At step ST7, the user locates the desired program, as he or she proceeds to reproduction, fast feed or rewind, before moving to step ST8.
If the user has found at step ST8 the program he or she desires to view, he or she moves to step ST5 and, if otherwise, to step ST9.
At step ST9, the user takes out the video cassette in which the desired program is not recorded, and reverts to step ST6. Thus the user is compelled to repeat the operations of the steps ST6 to ST9 until finding the video cassette having the desired program recorded therein. In the flow chart, unidentified parallelepipedic blocks indicate case-by-case conditions.
On the other hand, if, when recording a new program in a pre-recorded video cassette, the pre-recorded contents are not identified due to e.g., lack of a record of the contents on the back label, it is a frequent occurrence that the recording which should be preserved or the recording made by another family member is inadvertently erased, or otherwise a new video cassette has to be used despite the fact that the latter portion of the pre-recorded video cassette remains unrecorded. The result is that the video cassettes devoid of a memo on the recorded program title tend to be increased in number.
There has been marketed a video deck (VTR) in which the information concerning the recording history is offered to the user by the letter or mark information. Specifically, the user causes the recording contents to be stored in a VTR memory and affixes a specified identification seal, e.g., a bar-code, at a pre-set site for identifying the video cassette. For reproduction, the VTR reads the identification seal in order to identify the loaded video cassette for displaying the recording contents stored on the tape on a TV receiver. Thus it is necessary for the user to affix the identification seal and to load the video cassette having the desired program recorded thereon on the VTR by his or her manual operation.
In the case of a professional VTR employed for broadcasting stations or cablecasting stations, there is known a so-called cart system in which plural recording media, such as tapes or disc, are stored, and the recording medium having the specified program recorded thereon is selected and reproduced. However, this cart system is bulky and heavy in weight, while being costly, so that it cannot be adapted to household use.
On the other hand, in conventional VTRs, the operation of so-called timer recording is complicated. Specifically, with reference to flow charts of FIGS. 24 and 25, the user turns the power source of a VTR on in step ST1 before moving to step ST2.
At step ST2, the user selects the video cassette for recording. Such selection of video cassettes includes selecting an unrecorded video cassette, overwritable video cassette or the video cassette the recording contents of which are not known. If the video cassette the recording contents of which are not known is selected, the user moves to step ST4 and, if otherwise, to step ST3.
At step ST3, the user loads the selected video cassette, that is the unrecorded video cassette or the overwritable video cassette, before moving to step ST9.
At step ST4, the user loads the video cassette the recording contents of which are not known, before moving to step ST5.
At step ST5, the user turns on the power source of the TV receiver, before moving to step ST6.
At step ST6, the user changes over the input of the TV receiver to video input, before moving to step ST6.
At step ST7, the user checks to see if overwriting on the video cassette is possible, as he or she performs reproduction, fast feed or the like operations. If overwriting is possible, the user moves to step ST8.
At step ST8, the user rewinds the tape and moves to step ST9.
At step ST9, the user performs an appointment for timer recording, as to e.g., recording time and date or recording channel, and enters first timer recording data on the VTR, before moving to step ST10.
At step ST10, the user enters, if necessary, the second timer recording data to the VTR, before moving to step ST11.
At step ST11, the user sets the timer recording standby state, whereby the VTR is set to the stand-by state.
At step ST12, and at the first recording time and date, the VTR executes the first timer recording, before proceeding to step ST13.
At step ST13, the VTR erases the first timer recording data, before proceeding to step ST14.
At step ST14, the user decides whether or not the second timer recording is to be made on the same video cassette. If the result of decision is YES, the VTR proceeds to step ST16 and, if otherwise, to step ST15.
At step ST15, the user exchanges the video cassettes before moving to step ST16.
At step ST16, and at the second recording time and date, the VTR executes the second timer recording, before proceeding to step ST17.
At step ST17, the VTR erases the second timer recording data. If the first program recorded by the first timer recording or the second timer recording is to be viewed, without taking out the video cassette, on which the recording has been completed, the VTR proceeds to step ST18 or step ST19, respectively. If other wise, the VTR proceeds to step ST21.
At step ST18, the user rewinds the tape to its leading end before moving to step ST20.
At step STl9, the user rewinds the tape and locates the second program, before moving to step ST20.
At step ST20, the user proceeds to a reproducing operation, so that the reproduction by the VTR is started. Thus the user is able to view the program recorded by timer recording.
On the other hand, at step ST21, the user takes out the recorded video cassette, reproduces another video cassette as indicated at step ST22, performs appointment for timer recording on another video cassette as indicated at step ST23 or stores the video cassette thus taken out as indicated at step ST24.
Thus, if the user desires to record or reproduce picture signals or audio signals for motion pictures with the conventional picture signal recording/reproducing apparatus for household use, such as VTR, he or she is compelled to correctly grasp a variety of information data, such as the information as to which program is recorded on the recording medium, in which portion of a recording medium a given program is recorded and in which portion of a given program a given scene is recorded. In addition, it is up to the user to select or exchange the recording media. In addition, a complex operation is involved in the appointment operations for timer recording.